1. Field
The present embodiments generally relate to processes for processing hydrocarbons. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to processes for upgrading atmospheric residues using a solvent de-asphalting unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solvent de-asphalting (“SDA”) processes have been used to treat residuum oil. Traditional refinery distillation processes separate light hydrocarbon compounds from incoming feedstocks, leaving a large volume of residuum (“residual oil”) that is primarily heavy hydrocarbons. SDA processes have been used to treat the heavy hydrocarbons with a solvent to generate asphaltic and de-asphalted oil (“DAO”) products. The asphaltic and DAO products are typically treated and/or processed into useful products.
DAO can be economically attractive when downstream treatment facilities such as hydrotreating or fluid catalytic cracking are adequately sized to process the large volume of DAO generated when treating residuum. However, hydrocracking the DAO requires a capital intensive, high-pressure, system to fractionate the large quantity of heavy hydrocarbons, especially when intermediate products such as diesel, gas oil or kerosene are preferred.
A need exists for an improved process to upgrade residuum hydrocarbons while minimizing capital investment.